If you have ever had an inconsolable, screeching baby in your arms at all hours of the night, you are aware of how desperate you can become to soothe your little one. Sure, sometimes all a newborn needs is a new diaper or some milk, but sometimes a tiny baby seems to scream for seemingly no reason—for long periods of time—and it can be excruciating. For both the baby and you.
Many nursing moms quickly discover that the boob is a panacea. The baby is hungry? Boob. Gassy? Boob. Got a boo-boo? Boob. Screaming for the hell of it? Boob.
But what are poor dads to do when the cure-all boob is nowhere in sight? (Like when mom actually gets a moment to herself?) Well, one guy took to Reddit to share what he discovered, desperate to know if anyone else had as well.
He writes: “Sometimes when my baby is crying in the night and it’s my turn to quiet and soothe her, in desperation I’ll try to get her to suckle at my nipples.” If you’re wondering how baby reacts, he admits that sometimes she doesn’t go for his shenanigans because perhaps his nipples are too hairy…
But when the man’s daughter decides that dad’s nipples will just have to do, he has this to say: “But sometimes she latches on, and I find myself experiencing a confusing mixture of joy at the connection between father and daughter, and horror at what I’ve become.”
While his methods are unorthodox, it is clear that this man wants what is best for his baby, and that they can both benefit from a little extra bonding in the process.
While many dad Redditers responded that they will never try dry nursing their infants, some people admitted that this tactic wasn’t completely out of left field. One woman wrote in about her own husband: “My husband was curious about it and let our 2-week-old latch onto his nipple, and immediately yelped in pain hahaha. I don’t think its that weird, kind of cute!”
And another commenter gets that sometimes you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do: “I don’t think it’s very common, but really, whatever works, right? If it soothes her and you don’t mind, I’m not going to judge.”
Dads, if you’re stuck with a baby that won’t stop crying, would you offer a nipple? Moms, would you mind if your partner did?
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